Lucinda Brand earns 12th victory of the season at Superprestige Heusden-Zolder

Monday’s six round of the Superprestige series was a classic battle between experience and youth, with world champion Lucinda Brand beating Fem van Empel, 13 years her junior. It was Brand’s 12th victory of the season and extended her lead in the series with only one round to go in February. Maghalie Rochette was originally scheduled to race Heusden-Zolder, but the illness that saw her climb off the bike in Sunday’s round of the World Cup still hampered her late December plans. Sidney McGill was top Canadian in 39th.

The 2021-2022 Superprestige Series So Far

Although Brand took four of the first five rounds, she only led the winner of Ruddervoorde, Denise Betsema, by three points before Monday’s race. Rochette had been fourth in the last round in Boom.

Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado seized the hole shot on Lap 1, but soon had Brand and Hungary’s Kata Blanka Vas pass her. Midway through the lap Yara Kastalijn pushed passed Vas, but the Hungarian took back her spot, with Kastelijn biffing in the dirt soon after. Brand grabbed the reins and led a sextet over the line.

A few more beads joined the string at the start of Lap 2, with Vas continuing on the front. Betsema pushed to the head of affairs and poured on the pressure, which detached Alvarado before the line.

On the third of six laps Brand returned to the front. Vas was still lurking in Position 2 or 3. Brand’s pace dropped most of the string, with only van Empel, the Val di Sole World Cup winner, able to go with her. Betsema led the chase 8 seconds behind.

Van Empel had to work hard on Lap 4 to stay with the world champion. Betsema was in the chase group with Vas, Annemarie Worst and Inge van der Heijden. Soon after Brand gapped her companion, she crashed and it was van Empel’s turn to lead. Alvarado climbed off her bike. The podium chasers were 18 seconds in arrears.

The penultimate lap saw Brand take a new machine. Shirin van Androoij joined the chase group, now with Vas powering it. Brand returned to the front and the duo lapped Canadian Kiara Lylyck.

When they heard the bell, Brand and van Empel had 15 seconds over Vas and Worst. Vas made a mistake that put her back to the next group. Van Empel kept glued to Brand’s wheel. The podium battle was now between Betsema, Worst and van Androoij. Van Empel simply couldn’t find a place to pass and then Brand put in a big dig in the final 400 metres that assured her of the victory. Worst rounded out the podium.

2021-2022 Superprestige, Round 6, Heusden-Zolder
1) Lucinda Brand (The Netherlands/Baloise Trek Lions) 48:30
2) Fem van Empel (The Netherlands/Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) +0:02
3) Annemarie Worst (The Netherlands/777) +0:21
39) Sidney McGill (Canada) +6:14
50) Eva Holmgren (Canada) +7:14
57) Isabella Holmgren (Canada)
66) Jenaya Francis (Canada)
74) Christine Bilodeau (Canada)
84) Kiara Lylyck (Canada)
85) Katelyn Walcroft (Canada)
DNF) Siobhan Kelly (Canada)